Soon To Be New Owner(I hope!) Questions.

[LSama]

Hi there. While I've been watching--and researching!--these forums for the past several months, there are still a few questions I'd like to ask, because each new owner has special circumstances. I like to get answers to questions that I know are going to apply to my situation and no one elses. So, let me get started--.....

Oh. Yes. I'm Lauren. :D I guess I should get that out of the way first, huh? While this will be my first ball python that I've owned, it's something I've wanted since I was...gosh, 13? Ten(nearly eleven) years later, I think I'm ready for it! Now, to the questions!

I'm considering a BP, hopefully to be purchased at MARS this year. So that's my first question; I would prefer to buy from a buyer that is, at the very least, someone local to my area. I live in Glen Burnie; I'm about 10-20 minutes from Baltimore and Annapolis, give or take a few minutes. Are there any reputable dealers that you guys can suggest I should keep my eyes open for, while I'm at MARS? Which brings me to my next question...

I know MARS is a big event, and I'm slightly worried that the only thing I'm going to see while I'm there is going to be nothing but really expensive morphes, something I don't have the cash for, frankly. I'm sure some of you have been to MARS(or go regularly!)--is this something I should even be bothered with worrying about? I'm looking to get just a plain ol' normal BP, though believe you me when I say that I love some of the pictures of the reduced patterns I've seen floating around on the forums, of normals(Oh, those long back stripes, how I love them..!). Oh, this leads into another question...

While I understand what reduced is, I'm not 100% sure what 'blushing' and 'flames' are--I mean, I know they are patterns/colors/lackthereof! on snakes, but do you think you guys could give me a better explination(a visual would be even better!)?

Onto the topic of enclosures. First of all, what are good size dimensions for a slitherbaby? I've heard that getting something too big can be stressful, and I don't want that..and while I'm sure, one day, I'm going to want something nice and lovely to look at(AP, I'm thinking!), I've read that rubbermade/sterilite is a widely used enclosure; It's cheap, it holds humity well, and can be replaced easily as soon as the snake gets bigger. And while a glass tank would be aesthetically pleasing, I've heard it a bit harder to keep the humidity right--and they make sterilite that's virtually see-through anyway..
But I've a slight concern. I intend to use UTH pads for heating: Is this safe to use with plastic, no matter how heavy-duty, directly? Or should I put something between the pad and the plastic? I certainly DON'T want to melt it! Heck, should I decide to use a glass aquarium, for whatever reason, does the same still apply? Because I don't want to burn my new slitherbaby, either! And what is safe to put the heating pad, itself, on? The place I have in mind for the snake is atop a large metal trunk, that currently has a sheet across the top of it? Is that safe to put the UTH on, itself?

Substrate! Newspaper, while cheap and effective..well, it just doesn't look all that flattering, if you ask me. I've heard that aspen shavings are really good; I was considering using maybe a bottom layer of newspaper and cover that in the shavings..But then, earlier, I saw a video of someone who had apparently been simple shredding paper in a paper shredder(I believe they said it was junk mail, actually!), which I have. Which leads to this question: Is this safe? I've read there are concerns about substrate getting stuck to fur on rodents and then making it into the python's mouth, which is probably not a good thing..I imagine a paper cut in the mouth wouldn't be much funner(Though this is probably horribly unlikely)! And like pine is unsafe for snakes, I'm worried that...well, that if the paper got wet, who knows where it's been and what it's got on it.. Is this really safe? Or should I just stick to newspaper/aspen shavings and call it a day? Though I could probably make a newspaper last a loooong time if I shave that bad boy up..

My roommate and I(you'll probably see her show up on this thread and ask more questions!) are insane audiophiles..and we listen to music constantly. I wear headphones, but she doesn't have that luxury. It's not like we're talking booming, insanely loud bass here, or anything like that, but at night, she likes to keep it on--helps her sleep. During the day, it's very quite down here in the basement, but I don't want the snake to become stressed out by the music that's on at night--again, we're not talking about anything insanely loud or anything, but still, sound is sound, and snakes have ears too! ...Kinda. ..Sorta. Yea.

I think that covers most of my current questions. I think. I'm sure my roommate will come in here and think of PLENTY more to ask, don't worry.

I greatly, greatly appreciate all of you--reading this forum has really helped me in the past few months!

[JLC]

Wow....ok....let's see if I can remember what the questions were as I type...


1. Finding normals at MARS...NO PROBLEM! There'll be tons of normal babies to choose through. The earlier you get there, the better chance you have of finding a sweet striped or reduced pattern. But at any time, I'm quite sure you won't have any trouble finding lots of snakes to choose from.

2. Blushing is the faded spots along the dorsal (backbone) side of the snake. Some BP's have lots of obvious blushing, and some don't have any at all. Flames are the faded markings that come up from the belly, between the "alien heads" or splotches along the sides. They are usually vaguely "flame shaped"...hense the name.

3. A UTH controlled by a thermostat (or a dimmer switch at the least) will be perfectly safe on plastic.

4. Personally, I would not use shredded, ordinary paper as substrate. Ever had a paper cut? Can you image sliding through an entire "home" filled with paper edges? You can buy unprinted newspaper fairly cheaply, or something called "kraftpaper" that is brownish looking and has some texture to it. I'm using newspaper for my BP, and it works great...and since she's in an "ugly" ol' tub anyhow, I don't care if the substrate is pretty.

That's all the answers that come to mind, at the moment. Hope it helps some.

[Shaun J]

I'm considering a BP, hopefully to be purchased at MARS this year. So that's my first question; I would prefer to buy from a buyer that is, at the very least, someone local to my area. I live in Glen Burnie; I'm about 10-20 minutes from Baltimore and Annapolis, give or take a few minutes. Are there any reputable dealers that you guys can suggest I should keep my eyes open for, while I'm at MARS? Which brings me to my next question...

Look for mites. I've never seen one before, but they should be very small and black. (If I am wrong, please correct me)Make sure the snake isn't opening it's mouth often to breathe. Also make sure it isn't anorexic or too skinny.

I know MARS is a big event, and I'm slightly worried that the only thing I'm going to see while I'm there is going to be nothing but really expensive morphes, something I don't have the cash for, frankly. I'm sure some of you have been to MARS(or go regularly!)--is this something I should even be bothered with worrying about? I'm looking to get just a plain ol' normal BP, though believe you me when I say that I love some of the pictures of the reduced patterns I've seen floating around on the forums, of normals(Oh, those long back stripes, how I love them..!). Oh, this leads into another question...

You should definately be able to find a normal at the show. I wouldn't worry.

While I understand what reduced is, I'm not 100% sure what 'blushing' and 'flames' are--I mean, I know they are patterns/colors/lackthereof! on snakes, but do you think you guys could give me a better explination(a visual would be even better!)?

Not too sure of flames, but blushing means that the snake has faded spots where it should be dark. (again, correct me if I'm wrong)

Onto the topic of enclosures. First of all, what are good size dimensions for a slitherbaby? I've heard that getting something too big can be stressful, and I don't want that..and while I'm sure, one day, I'm going to want something nice and lovely to look at(AP, I'm thinking!), I've read that rubbermade/sterilite is a widely used enclosure; It's cheap, it holds humity well, and can be replaced easily as soon as the snake gets bigger. And while a glass tank would be aesthetically pleasing, I've heard it a bit harder to keep the humidity right--and they make sterilite that's virtually see-through anyway..

Yup, tubs are way better than aquariums. Tubs aren't aesthetically pleasing, but why should an enclosure for a Ball Python be? Ball-pythons are generally shy and chances are, you won't see your snake out and about.

But I've a slight concern. I intend to use UTH pads for heating: Is this safe to use with plastic, no matter how heavy-duty, directly? Or should I put something between the pad and the plastic? I certainly DON'T want to melt it! Heck, should I decide to use a glass aquarium, for whatever reason, does the same still apply? Because I don't want to burn my new slitherbaby, either! And what is safe to put the heating pad, itself, on? The place I have in mind for the snake is atop a large metal trunk, that currently has a sheet across the top of it? Is that safe to put the UTH on, itself?

I wouldn't worry because if you have a thermostat/rheostat/dimmer, (Which you should have) the temperature won't get hot enough to burn the tub or aquarium.

Substrate! Newspaper, while cheap and effective..well, it just doesn't look all that flattering, if you ask me. I've heard that aspen shavings are really good; I was considering using maybe a bottom layer of newspaper and cover that in the shavings..But then, earlier, I saw a video of someone who had apparently been simple shredding paper in a paper shredder(I believe they said it was junk mail, actually!), which I have. Which leads to this question: Is this safe? I've read there are concerns about substrate getting stuck to fur on rodents and then making it into the python's mouth, which is probably not a good thing..I imagine a paper cut in the mouth wouldn't be much funner(Though this is probably horribly unlikely)! And like pine is unsafe for snakes, I'm worried that...well, that if the paper got wet, who knows where it's been and what it's got on it.. Is this really safe? Or should I just stick to newspaper/aspen shavings and call it a day? Though I could probably make a newspaper last a loooong time if I shave that bad boy up..

I would just use newspaper/aspen. I don't know if shredded paper is good.

My roommate and I(you'll probably see her show up on this thread and ask more questions!) are insane audiophiles..and we listen to music constantly. I wear headphones, but she doesn't have that luxury. It's not like we're talking booming, insanely loud bass here, or anything like that, but at night, she likes to keep it on--helps her sleep. During the day, it's very quite down here in the basement, but I don't want the snake to become stressed out by the music that's on at night--again, we're not talking about anything insanely loud or anything, but still, sound is sound, and snakes have ears too! ...Kinda. ..Sorta. Yea.

You could keep the snake somewhere where she doesn't listen to music. They can get stressed by the vibrations.

I greatly, greatly appreciate all of you--reading this forum has really helped me in the past few months!

Me too! Except they've helped me for years LOL

[jglass38]

Hi there. While I've been watching--and researching!--these forums for the past several months, there are still a few questions I'd like to ask, because each new owner has special circumstances. I like to get answers to questions that I know are going to apply to my situation and no one elses. So, let me get started--.....

Oh. Yes. I'm Lauren. I guess I should get that out of the way first, huh? While this will be my first ball python that I've owned, it's something I've wanted since I was...gosh, 13? Ten(nearly eleven) years later, I think I'm ready for it! Now, to the questions!

I'm considering a BP, hopefully to be purchased at MARS this year. So that's my first question; I would prefer to buy from a buyer that is, at the very least, someone local to my area. I live in Glen Burnie; I'm about 10-20 minutes from Baltimore and Annapolis, give or take a few minutes. Are there any reputable dealers that you guys can suggest I should keep my eyes open for, while I'm at MARS? Which brings me to my next question...

I know MARS is a big event, and I'm slightly worried that the only thing I'm going to see while I'm there is going to be nothing but really expensive morphes, something I don't have the cash for, frankly. I'm sure some of you have been to MARS(or go regularly!)--is this something I should even be bothered with worrying about? I'm looking to get just a plain ol' normal BP, though believe you me when I say that I love some of the pictures of the reduced patterns I've seen floating around on the forums, of normals(Oh, those long back stripes, how I love them..!). Oh, this leads into another question...

While I understand what reduced is, I'm not 100% sure what 'blushing' and 'flames' are--I mean, I know they are patterns/colors/lackthereof! on snakes, but do you think you guys could give me a better explination(a visual would be even better!)?

Onto the topic of enclosures. First of all, what are good size dimensions for a slitherbaby? I've heard that getting something too big can be stressful, and I don't want that..and while I'm sure, one day, I'm going to want something nice and lovely to look at(AP, I'm thinking!), I've read that rubbermade/sterilite is a widely used enclosure; It's cheap, it holds humity well, and can be replaced easily as soon as the snake gets bigger. And while a glass tank would be aesthetically pleasing, I've heard it a bit harder to keep the humidity right--and they make sterilite that's virtually see-through anyway..
But I've a slight concern. I intend to use UTH pads for heating: Is this safe to use with plastic, no matter how heavy-duty, directly? Or should I put something between the pad and the plastic? I certainly DON'T want to melt it! Heck, should I decide to use a glass aquarium, for whatever reason, does the same still apply? Because I don't want to burn my new slitherbaby, either! And what is safe to put the heating pad, itself, on? The place I have in mind for the snake is atop a large metal trunk, that currently has a sheet across the top of it? Is that safe to put the UTH on, itself?

Substrate! Newspaper, while cheap and effective..well, it just doesn't look all that flattering, if you ask me. I've heard that aspen shavings are really good; I was considering using maybe a bottom layer of newspaper and cover that in the shavings..But then, earlier, I saw a video of someone who had apparently been simple shredding paper in a paper shredder(I believe they said it was junk mail, actually!), which I have. Which leads to this question: Is this safe? I've read there are concerns about substrate getting stuck to fur on rodents and then making it into the python's mouth, which is probably not a good thing..I imagine a paper cut in the mouth wouldn't be much funner(Though this is probably horribly unlikely)! And like pine is unsafe for snakes, I'm worried that...well, that if the paper got wet, who knows where it's been and what it's got on it.. Is this really safe? Or should I just stick to newspaper/aspen shavings and call it a day? Though I could probably make a newspaper last a loooong time if I shave that bad boy up..

My roommate and I(you'll probably see her show up on this thread and ask more questions!) are insane audiophiles..and we listen to music constantly. I wear headphones, but she doesn't have that luxury. It's not like we're talking booming, insanely loud bass here, or anything like that, but at night, she likes to keep it on--helps her sleep. During the day, it's very quite down here in the basement, but I don't want the snake to become stressed out by the music that's on at night--again, we're not talking about anything insanely loud or anything, but still, sound is sound, and snakes have ears too! ...Kinda. ..Sorta. Yea.

I think that covers most of my current questions. I think. I'm sure my roommate will come in here and think of PLENTY more to ask, don't worry.

I greatly, greatly appreciate all of you--reading this forum has really helped me in the past few months!

Welcome!! Lots of good questions. I am sure you won't have a problem finding a nice normal BP! Find someone selling a nice CB baby that is well started (eating regularly). I am sure there will be some suggestions on breeders. Since I like to whore myself, I happen to have a very special yearling male that needs a permanent home. As far as your questions:

A UTH that is properly controlled by a thermostat (or at the least a rheostat) is perfectly safe to use with a rubbermaid/sterilite container. You can certainly make a glass tank work but it takes a bit more effort. When I got my first BP I kept him in a 20L with a screen top. He eat every week and shed perfectly fine. That said, plastic containers are WAY more foolproof.

If you keep the snake off the subwoofer, all should be fine. Booming bass might be an issue but a little music at normal (or elevated) volumes isn't going to cause a huge problem.

As far as substrate, there are quite a few that work. Aspen bedding, carefresh or newspaper among others.



Best of luck and feel free to ask any more questions!

Jamie

[LSama]

Welcome!! Lots of good questions. I am sure you won't have a problem finding a nice normal BP! Find someone selling a nice CB baby that is well started (eating regularly). I am sure there will be some suggestions on breeders. Since I like to whore myself, I happen to have a very special yearling male that needs a permanent home.

As soon as I get more comfortable with having snakes, then maybe..I just can't resist having a slitherbaby though--they're so tiny!

As far as your questions:

A UTH that is properly controlled by a thermostat (or at the least a rheostat) is perfectly safe to use with a rubbermaid/sterilite container. You can certainly make a glass tank work but it takes a bit more effort. When I got my first BP I kept him in a 20L with a screen top. He eat every week and shed perfectly fine. That said, plastic containers are WAY more foolproof.

Oh, thank goodness! This was something I was worried about, the whole putting the UTH directly against the plastic. I mean, I knew it was pretty heavy duty stuff and all, yea, but still. I'm not going to worry about something really big/fancy to put the soon to be acquired Julius Squeezer into( ;_; My roommate won't let me name our snake that, the big meanie)until he's pretty much full sized. Then I'll worry about a boaphile or AP.

If you keep the snake off the subwoofer, all should be fine. Booming bass might be an issue but a little music at normal (or elevated) volumes isn't going to cause a huge problem.

Good, good--because while there is never any booming bass around here, nor is the volume kept very loud--I'm not sure how well my roommate would be able to survive without her music. It's very theraputic for the both of us.

As far as substrate, there are quite a few that work. Aspen bedding, carefresh or newspaper among others.

I'm thinking I'll be going with the Aspen bedding/newpaper 'lining' combo. I think it'll do a fine job, in the long run. Granted, that means I'mma have to start stocking up on newspapers, but I think I can handle that!!

Thank you so very much for your input!

[Shaun J]

I wouldn't even really bother with a Boaphile or AP, there are tubs big enough to house large adults.

[LSama]

Oh, I know--but this isn't going to be some hobby thing--I want something that's going to look nice, that's going to be pretty much a permanent home; Otherwise, no, I wouldn't bother at all.

[jessie_k_pythons]

well i got the photos of blushing and flames...

hope this helps...

Blushing: this female shows some great blushing on her back shown in blue.


and here are a few photosof Flames.. not the best but you might get the idea. shown in red.

[LSama]

OOoooooh, now I see! Those are awesome examples, I get what you're referring to now. ^_^ Thank you very much!

[Wolfsnaps]

Snakes do not have ears. They can feel/sense vibrations though.